27 Weeks

This week, our baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with its legs extended. It is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing it's eyes, and perhaps even sucking it's fingers. With more brain tissue developing, our baby's brain is very active now. While it's lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if the baby were born now.

The baby is moving more and more each day. It really makes me laugh when it is awake and moving. We went to the doctor on Tuesday to do the glucose test (nastiest stuff ever). We haven't gotten any word back, so hopefully we are in the clear. We haven't started on the nursery yet, but I've got all the designs picked out. I have been stocking up on diapers when I find them on sale. This week Walgreens was having Huggies on sale for $8.99 with a $2.00 coupon for next time, a $1.00 in store coupon, and a $2.00 manufactures coupon. I ended up getting a pack of Huggies for $3.99. And if you spent more than $25, you got a $5.00 coupon to spend on any purchase later. The closet is getting too full of diapers though, I'll have to find a new spot to keep them.

I'm doing good. Work is keeping me busy and the baby is keeping me exhausted. I've been trying to finish up lose projects around the house, but the church calling has me busy every evening. So far this month I've finished my sisters quilt, a baby quilt, the baby's stocking, scrapbooking a calendar, and cutting the fabric for another baby blanket. I've got much more to do, but things will happen when they do.

Loren is doing better. He is still coughing all the time. At least he can function now. He still enjoys taking the dog on walks every evening. I can't participate with my leg in as much pain as it is, and the risk of slipping on the snow/ice.

Our animals are doing good. They love the Christmas tree. Artard is climbing the tree everyday to knock off the bulbs. He actually pulled off all my ribbon the other day. Then every time Bowser walks by the tree, he bites one of the limbs. It's sad that only half of my tree has ornaments, but I guess I'm just getting prepared for next year when we have a little one crawling around. Bowser finally jumped the baby gate yesterday. Every time Loren gets home, Bowser jumps like crazy and makes funny noises because he is so happy someone is home and he can come out of our room. But yesterday when Loren got home, he walked into the kitchen to get the leash first before letting him out and Bowser was so excited, he just leaped over the gate. I didn't think he could even jump. I guess we will have to dog proof the rest of the house now, just to make sure he can't get into anything.

Life is great. Christmas will be here before we know it and we will be flying back to Kansas. I'm pretty excited to see my whole family and be there for Christmas. I haven't been in Kansas for Christmas in 5 years.

26 weeks

The network of nerves in our baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. It may now be able to hear both our voices. It's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of it's lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when it's born and takes that first gulp of air. And it's continuing to put on baby fat. It now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel. If we are having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

As each day goes by, the baby moves more and more. I'm starting to feel movements in 2 locations at a time (up high and down low). It must growing fast. I can't believe there is only 14 more weeks of this pregnancy. I have a Dr. appointment next Tuesday to have the Glucose test and another exam. I'm almost to the third trimester...Yeah!

Loren has been sick this past week and finally decided to stay home and try to get better on Thursday and Friday. He actually got banished from the bedroom to the guest room, just to make sure I don't get sick. Today he is starting to feel a little better, but he still sounds like he is going to cough up a lung.

I've been feeling ok. Still having issues with my leg and every step is painful. I've finally found a stretch that stretches the specific muscle, so the past two days have actually been tolerable. Except I went to the chiropractor today and I'm one sore puppy. He really stretched those muscles and realigned my lower back. I've already had to ice it once. It's going to be a hard weekend. I'm looking forward to the weekend though. I'm going to a girls night out Christmas party with woman from the church. Then on Saturday, Keri is coming over to scrapbook a calendar with me. That night, if the roads aren't too icy, hopefully we can go look for some good Christmas lights.

Christmas is coming so fast, good thing I really don't have to buy anything this year. I have all the white elephant gifts around the house and the baby drew a cousins name for Christmas. One gift and we are done. Loren and I have decided to buy baby furniture for each other for Christmas and we are waiting for it to go on sale. That present might have to wait until January or February.

Another one bites the dust...

Another project is done. I've been working on my sister Tracy's wedding quilt for 2 years now. I did squeeze in her wedding, my wedding, moving 2 times, buying a house, and finishing my other sister Susan's quilt. One thing I've learned from this quilt is that I'll never do another 1 inch square quilt. It took too much time and a lot of ironing. I'm glad it is finished. Tracy I hope you like it, I think it is beautiful.

I think it turned

I've been feeling this baby move since week 16. Yesterday the spot where I feel the baby the most, changed. I've always felt the baby kick low, right on my bladder and back towards my tailbone, probably because it was breach. Now the kicking and moving is up high right under my ribs. The kicking is so much more dominate. Loren had his hand on my belly and with my hand over his, I still felt it in my hand. I can actually see my belly move too. I sit at work and laugh at my belly moving. I guess I get entertained at the littlest things. This movement makes me happy unlike the the other movement. I don't think the baby takes a break at all though. It moves all the time. So with all that said, I think the baby turned. Lets hope that it doesn't turn back breach before the birth.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas Projects

I'm the kind of person who always has a project or two, maybe even three or four, going at a time. When Loren and I were dating, I made both of us a stocking. Last year when we were married I had some extra fabric so I started cutting it all out. I never got around to finishing the stocking. So with the baby on the way and time running out, I'm stepping up the game to get many of the unfinished projects done. The Santa is a great addition to the Snowman and Moose. All I need to do now is add the name. I'm very happy on how it turned out.

25 Weeks, only 15 to go!

How our baby's growing! Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. It's weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but it's beginning to exchange it's long, lean look for some baby fat. As it does, the wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and it'll start to look more and more like a newborn. It's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

So my belly continues to grow/stretch/hurt. The past couple of days have been horrible. I've woken up at 3 am each night in pain. You would think that at night things would feel great, being able to relax and all. Not for me. The muscle that stretches over my belly and attaches to the pubic bone is stretching and being overworked. Therefore causing a lot of pain on my lower abdomen and also causing pain to shoot down my legs, wrap around to my back and make me very uncomfortable. I can't lift one leg without the other without pain (I have to cut out stairs at work). Maybe I'm trying to do too much around the house/church/work, so I've got to tell myself to sit down, pause, and rest. I really hate not being able to do the things I'm use too. Other then all the pains, pregnancy is going good. I'm gaining my 1 pound a week and I am also feeling the baby move all the time. Loren has even felt it move a couple times.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. Loren's family came into town and we had our first Thanksgiving in our home. It was great having them around. Not only to help around the house (installing two toilets, raking leaves, installing light fixtures, fixing lamps, and playing with the dog) they were a joy have around. We even got up on black Friday. I ended up getting a Glider (1/2 off), 3 boxes of wipes ($5 for 500), and 6 packages of diapers ($5 a bag). It feels good to get things for the baby, especially when they are a good price.

I'm so thankful for everything in my life this year. My wonderful husband, the gospel, family, my job, our home, having the opportunity to have a child, our wonderful and weird animals, and many more things. Something else I'm grateful for, is the kindness of others. There is a gentleman at work that has been giving me any and all of his baby stuff he has still. Last night I went home with nice diaper bag, infant toys, bottles, little girl sweaters, heavy duty baby gate, car seat head support, and a booster seat. He also plans on bringing me a baby backpack. I'm also grateful for the people on Freecycle. We have gotten so much for nothing (swing, clothes, potty chair, bouncer, boppy, car window shades, and probably more I can't think of now). It really helps out when you are working with a budget and trying to save enough to pay for the hospital right after the baby is born.

23 Weeks

Life has been so busy. Trying to finish our bathroom before guest come in to town, so we have 2 working showers and trying to clean the whole house. Man...I'm exhasted. Since I haven't had time to post any pictures here is my 23 week belly pictures. Tomorrow I'll be able to take my 24 week picture. The baby has been kicking everyday. Loren has even been able to feel it.

I'm so excited for the holidays this year. I don't know if it is because we are in our own house or that after the holidays we will be that much closer to having our baby. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

23 Weeks

How our baby's growing:
With it's sense of movement well developed by now, our baby can feel me dance and move. And now that it's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see it squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in it's lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that our baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing it for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as our dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze it when it hears them outside the womb.

The baby has been moving a lot more lately, especially after lunch and into the early evening. I've had to go into the chiropractor quite a bit lately because of the pinched nerves in my lower back. But that will be a usually thing during my pregnancy because of my loosening joints.

Loren and I have been busy around the house lately. We had our yearly maintenance on our furnace and found out that there is a carbon monoxide leek (very small, and not harmful at all). So we have been getting quotes and finally decided on a company last night. He actually ended up buying our other quotes off of us for $200. We will get our whole new system Heater and Air conditioner on Tuesday. Even though the levels aren't bad now with the Carbon monoxide, it can only get worse. And with the tax credit of $1500 this year, we might as well get it replaced.

I've been working hard on getting my sisters quilt top done, so I can have it professionally quilted (I'm not that good). I've got to have it done by Saturday at 10, so wish me luck. I'm excited to see the finished product.

Dr. Appointment

We had another OBGYN appointment today and things are going great. He measured my belly, listened to the heart beat, and checked my urine. My belly and my weight gain of 4 pounds(I hate saying that) are right on track. The baby's heart beat was at 153. It was a short and sweet visit. In and out in 20 min with all our questions answered. Next appointment December 15th. The past few months feel like they have gone pretty fast, lets hope the next months do also.

Raking the Twigs

Here is our sweet Bowser guarding his twigs that we raked up in the back yard. Isn't he just the prettiest dog?

Prego Pictures

22 Weeks

21 Weeks

22 Weeks

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. It's lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and it's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath it's gums. The baby's eyes have formed, but it's irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside the womb , you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers it's body and the deep wrinkles on it's skin, which it'll sport until it adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside the baby's belly, it's pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

As for me, things are going ok. They belly is growing bigger and I've stopped wearing my regular pants and turned only to maternity pants. I hate wearing things that are tight and especially when the baby continually kicks my bladder, I don't need my pants resting on the same spot. The baby has starting moving a lot. Yesterday I was lying on the bed talking on the phone with my hand on my belly and felt the baby move from the outside of my skin. It is getting more exciting. I'm trying to find the right moment when Loren can feel it move too. Everyone tells me that feeling the baby move is a wonderful sensation, but I have different views. Yes, it is neat that I'm carrying my baby and can feel it move. But I'm weirded out that there is something foreign inside of me growing and moving around. I don't like that my body is changing and I can't do things I've been able to do (sleep on my back, reach things, go for walks without my hips aching). I'm sure things will be get better.

We have been working on the house quite a bit lately. I guess I'm getting some of my energy back. Loren finished up the edge painting in the guest bathroom (he won't let me stand on the step stool, so I can't do it). We also started scrapping the caulking and water damaged drywall in our bathroom. Hopefully we can get that finished, mudded, and caulked tonight. Allowing it to be sanded and dry before the weekend, and then we can start painting. I hate all the prep work that goes along with the painting. But if you don't do it right the first time, there will be issues later. I'm so grateful for Loren and everything he does. Last weekend with it being nice outside, we worked on the yard. He raked and pulled weeds. He even dug up some more of the garden. My back was sore from pulling 5 weeds, I don't know how he did so much in the back yard with out hurting himself.

Church has been going good. I only had 1 meeting this past week, so I've gotten to relax a little bit. Loren and I were asked to speak on the 22nd. So we've been slowly thinking of things. That day will be very busy for Loren, he has to speak, teach his class, and do sharing time. You might as well get it all done in one day.

Sorry there aren't any pictures with this post or any of the others. I usually write these at work on my breaks and if I forget at home to post pictures, they never get added. Hopefully I'll get better at that when I'm at home with the baby.

21 Weeks

How our baby's growing: Our baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. I may soon feel like it's practicing martial arts as it's initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. I may also discover a pattern to it's activity as you get to know the baby better. In other developments, our baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if I'm having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

I am starting to feel the baby move around a lot. It is still mostly fluttering, but every once in a while I feel a big move. I thought that the movement would be wonderful, but this fluttering stuff kind of makes me sick feeling. More like motion sickness. I'm sure I'll start feeling different after the fluttering is gone. Other than that, life for me is busy. I've had something to do every day this week after work. Tuesday I went to the Chiropractor, tried to help with dinner, made a dessert, went visiting teaching, and then went to a Relief Society meeting (this was what the dessert was for). Wednesday after work, I helped with dinner, went visiting teaching and collapsed in bed around 9:30. Thursday after work, I helped with dinner, and went visiting teaching for 1 and 1/2 hours, and then went to bed at 9:30. Tonight I am planning on attending a dinner with Loren for the primary teachers.

We just got new Visiting teaching routes and the sisters I visit have way different schedules, so I had to do one a night. But I'm glad that I set it up that way. Each visit ended up being at least an hour. I'm very excited for this new route and the chance to get to meet these wonderful woman in the ward. I'm very blessed to have the time and energy now, so I'm taking advantage of it. I also wanted to make sure they were seen before the craziness of the holidays and to make sure they have a holiday meal. Even each day on my lunch break is filled with my relief society calling. I feel like all I've been doing is church, but it is good. When you can serve others, it makes you feel better about yourself and life.

I just hope that Loren and I can get some rest this weekend and have some time to work on the house. Our plan is to finish up the guest bathroom (it needs a second coat of paint on the ceiling, and touch up painting on the walls), and then we plan on starting on the master bathroom. We also plan on cleaning out Loren's side of the garage so he can pull in the truck. We'll have to see how much energy we actually have to get it all done. Lets hope!

20 Weeks and half way done

How our baby's growing:

Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. It's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of its head to its bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, it's measured from head to toe.) The baby is swallowing more these days, which is good practice for its digestive system. It's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in the baby's bowels, and you'll see it in its first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

As for me:

I haven't been feeling great this past week. I'm not sure if I'm not eating the right things or if I'm stressed out at work and not getting enough sleep. Hopefully this Halloween weekend turns things around. Some days I feel the baby move tons and other I don't feel it at all. When I wake up in the morning my belly isn't as big, but as the day goes along the belly sticks out there farther and farther. I'm kind of scared of being 8-9 months along and how big the belly will actually get. Loren is back from hunting (he didn't get anything, bummer), but I'm glad to have him home every night. Last night he cooked chicken pot pie, cleaned up, played with the dog in the backyard, and gave me a massage. He is an amazing husband and will be a wonderful father.

19 Weeks & Life

Our baby's sensory development is exploding! It's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that the baby may be able to hear us. The baby's arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of it's body now. The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on the scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Things for me are going good. I'm still working hard at work trying to get caught up before we go live with our new computer/accounting system. Then being Relief Society Secretary has been taking some time with Tuesday and Thursday meetings, on top of that doing the newsletter, birthday cards, and all the rest of the secretary stuff. I'm really enjoying this calling though. I really didn't know too many people in the ward and now I'm getting to know them all.

I took on a project while Loren was away hunting this last week. I decided to paint and redo the bathroom. We didn't have the funds to replace the counter tops and flooring, so I decided to work with it. I had a friend over and we painted the walls and trim, and picked out new towels and shower curtain. It looks very nice. I still plan on redoing the back splash and painting the ceiling, but I want to make sure Loren liked it before jumping in that far. Hopefully we will also be replacing the toilet before the baby comes. This is our guest bath and I'm sure with the baby being here we will have many more guests, and I don't want any more clogged toilets.

As for my body and pregnancy...we are very glad Loren is back to give massages. The lower back is always aching and the ligaments that support my uterus are stretching to accommodate the baby and they are sore almost every day. Some days I feel huge and pregnant and other days I just feel fat. I did gain 3 lbs this past Dr. appointment. It's hard to eat healthy when your body doesn't want veggies. Even the thought of vegetables makes me want to gag. I've never been a big milk person, but I have been craving milk this past month and drink at least 2 big glasses each day.

Everything else in life is good and I can't wait for the new experiences that await us.

Baby Vid 3

Baby Vid 2

Baby Vid 1

19 Week Ultrasound

Today, Loren and I got to see our baby again. We are suppose to be at 19 weeks on Thursday, but the baby measured 19 weeks and 1 day today. The baby is growing great. It is sitting in my belly breach right now, but that is totally normal most don't move until closer to the due date. The baby's feet were way down low, and the tech kept asking if I could feel it kicking my bladder. Luckily I had an empty bladder, but I'm not looking forward to the future. It has all 10 fingers and 10 toes. The brain looks great.

We ended up spending 30 min plus getting the ultrasound. They measured everything from the heart to the kidneys, to the arms and the legs. It was amazing how much you could see. You can't see it in any of the pictures here, but you could see the backbone and ribs. At first the baby was moving around a bunch and the tech couldn't get a good pictures, but then the baby curled up in a little bitty ball and wouldn't get into the right position for pictures.

The first picture is of both feet. The second picture is a profile. The third picture is a profile with a view of it's foot at the top. In the last picture you can see the baby sucking on its thumb. It was amazing that you could actually see it swallowing. We are happy that our baby is healthy and growing. The ultrasound will calm my worries for a little bit. Our next appointment is in 4 weeks and we will have another ultrasound to get a better picture of the spine. I'm very excited to see how much it has grown. We did get a video of the baby moving around, but Loren took it to work. I will be posting that when I get home.

18 weeks

Head to rump, our baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and it weighs almost 7 ounces. It's busy flexing it's arms and legs — movements that I'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. It's blood vessels are visible through it's thin skin, and it's ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from it's head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around the nerves, a process that will continue for a year after it's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now. But we won't be finding out the sex of the baby until the birth.

I'm doing well. My back is starting to hurt more and more. This could be from the pregnancy or from Loren being gone for the last week (no messages). My belly seams to be growing, but I have lost a couple pounds. I'm sure it is from Loren not being here to cook, but actually I've been so busy and exhausted that I haven't had time to cook. I think I feel the baby move everyday, but I'm still not sure if it is the baby or my stomach/insides bubbling up. We have an ultrasound on Tuesday the 20th, which I'm getting very excited for. I've already seen an ultrasound of the baby, but I'm excited to see the growth and development.

17 Weeks

Our baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — it's lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Our baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and it's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. It can move it's joints, and it's sweat glands are starting to develop.

As for me, life is going well. My belly is growing, but I have yet to gain any weight. I'm sure that will be changing in the next few weeks. I'm already wearing maternity clothing except for my jeans (I hate things being too tight). I think I felt the baby move this last Monday, but I'm not sure. I'm very excited to actually feel the baby move all the time. Sleeping has gotten uncomfortable. I'm a back sleeper and now it hurts my lower back to sleep on my back, and when I sleep on my sides it hurts my shoulders. I guess that means I just get more messages (hint hint Loren). I'm sure I'll be able to get through it though. I'm only 2 weeks away from a 2nd ultrasound and 3 weeks away from the 1/2 way mark. I never knew you could worry about something so much. I'm always worrying about if the baby is ok. When you can't feel it move, and don't get to hear the heart beat everyday, it make you think if it is still alive. I guess I'm just a worry wort.

Loren leaves to go hunting on Friday and could be gone until Sunday the 18th. I'm excited that he gets to go to the mountains every October and shoot something. I'm also very excited to hopefully replenish our dear in the freezer. The dear steaks and strogenoff are two of my favorite meals. I sure will miss him when he is gone. I'm sure I'll keep busy this next week at work (they are letting me have some overtime to get caught up on scanning), and at home with some projects I want to get completed. I always have projects to complete, I've been working on Tracy's wedding quilt for a couple of years now. Hopefully the finished product will come back with me when I visit for Christmas. Yes, that's right, Loren and I actually plan on flying to Kansas for Christmas this year. I haven't been home for Christmas since 2004. It's hard to justify a plane ticket for $500 a piece, but we better visit before our family grows and it is even more expensive. We could find the ticket for less, but we are needing fully refundable tickets, just in case something happens with the pregnancy. Kansas Family - sorry, but you won't be getting any presents from us this year, except for our presence.

Well that enough of my rambling, my lunch break is over and I need to get back to work. Hope all is well.

16 Weeks

In the next few weeks, my baby will double its weight and add inches to its length. Right now, it's about the size of an avocado measuring 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. It's legs are much more developed, its head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. Its ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of its scalp has begun, though its locks aren't recognizable yet. It's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, its heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

What do you get when you send a hungry pregant woman to the store?

This is what you get. A bag full of sweets and unhealthy food. Loren was sick on Friday, so I stopped by to get some soup and Gatorade and come out with all this plus more. Loren though it was hilarious and wanted me to take a picture. The hot dogs came in very handy Saturday night at midnight when I couldn't sleep and was starving.

15 weeks

Our growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). They are busy moving amniotic fluid through their nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in their lungs begin to develop. Their legs are growing longer than their arms now, and they can move all of her joints and limbs. Although their eyelids are still fused shut, they can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, they are likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but they are forming taste buds. If we wanted to find out the sex of the baby, we could this week.

Life is good right now. We went to the doctor on Monday and we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. It was neat to hear, and I'm glad Loren was there to experience it with me. As for changes right now, I'm not feeling as sick. Even though there are still days that I'm not my best. I'm still exhausted all the time (don't know if it is the pregnancy or the cat sleeping on me at night). I can feel my belly starting to stretch and all those muscles are starting to relax. At night I'm starting to feel cramps in my legs coming on, but I haven't gotten one yet. I'm still enjoying my nightly messages which help me to go to sleep and stay asleep, thanks to Loren. We are excited for the weeks ahead with all they will bring.

The Garden

Loren and I planted a garden this year with tomatoes, brocoli, carrots, greenbeans, zuchinni, squash, acorn squash, cantelope, watermelon, pumpkins, corn, raspberries, and strawberries. We found out the hard way and know know that we need a permant watering system. It is way too hard when we both work and it stays 90 until the end of September (yuck) to pull the hose out and water everyother day. We don't have sprinkler system so we actually had to do this for the whole yard, and with our dog, we went through at least 2 hoses and a couple of sprinklers. We did end up getting quite a few veggies though. As you can see in the picture, this is the amount of tomatoes picked in one day off of 3 plants. We had zuchinni out the wazoo and now our pumpkins have taken over the whole garden. It's been a fun experience with our first garden, and hopefully we will have learned from our mistakes and I will be feeling better to get out there and take care of it.

Lessons learned this year:

1. Don't plant a whole row of zuchinni (they grow too crazy)
2. Don't plant winter squash (it's nasty)
3. Dont' plant as much (it turned into a jungle)
4. You need to water alot
5. Make the walkways wider
6. Always fence off the garden (dogs and manure don't mix)

My new love!

The Jenks told us about this new website (maybe its old, but it's new to us) called Freecycle. It's much like the free section on Craigslist. Everything is free and I receive emails telling me what people are looking for and what people are giving away. The first time I email someone back we ended up getting a highchair, boppy with 2 covers, baby floor mat, and a baby bouncy chair. Some were in ok shape, but the boppy was brand new and I'm sure we will use the bouncy chair and floor mat. Then the other day someone posted that they had some baby clothing, boys and girls, under 12 months. I responded right away. I thought I would go through it all, maybe pick out a few items and then donate the rest to DI.

We ended up getting 7 trash bags full of clothing. I started my search through the many bags on Saturday and found out that this lady had great taste. I loved almost every piece of baby clothes. I think I pulled out 2-3 to donate to DI because of wear and or stains. The rest I kept. I washed and now am storing until the baby comes. The clothes on the left are all girl clothes 12 months and under. The right pile is boy clothes 12 months and under. This isn't including the pile still out in the garage about double this size of toddler clothes 12-24months. I also receive many maternity clothing that I will be selling on Craigslist and a box of young girl clothes we will donate to a friend with 4 girls.

I really hit the jackpot with this freecycle.

Look what he is into now!

I look out the window one morning and there is a pumpkin in the middle of the yard. I know I didn't put it there. Our pumpkin vines have grown through the fence and are growing in the dogs backyard. So the other day he decided he wanted to play with it. The pumpkin had teeth marks all over it and hadn't moved for 3 days...until last night. We are sitting in the living room enjoying a show and I see our dog running around like a crazy dog outside, so I go to the window. He is out there biting the pumpkin and throwing it around. Then running around it like a crazy dog attacking it. Then all of a sudden he bends down and grabs a section of the grass and pulls it up. What is this dog doing? I know we have a weird dog, but this goes above weirdness. It was just too funny. I wish I had gotten it on video. Here is the aftermath of the pumpkin and an acorn squash.

What has he done now?

He might look innocent and pathetic, but that is his disguise. Our puppy is hitting his terrible twos. The other night while we were sleeping, Bowser continued to wake me up by going in and out of his dog door. He usually only goes in and out maybe 2 times a night, so after the third time I started to worry. Then all of a sudden I hear Bowser running down the hallway and then charge out the door. I sit up quickly and he stops in his tracks to come see me. I notice that he dropped something. I go and look at what it is and it was a baby bib. I turn the porch light on and see several thing scattered among the backyard. I walk down the hallway of our house and see that he has pushed in the future babies room door and has started carrying out the baby things to the yard. I don't know if he was trying to sneak things out while we were sleeping, so he could chew on them during the day. Or if he is just acting up cause he knows something is different. I don't know, but it is driving me crazy even though it makes me laugh.

Oh and by the way, this is how we find our dog sleeping all the time. He is so weird.

Our first picture!

If anyone reads my blog, I'm sure you've already guessed, we are expecting a baby. I ended up getting the best birthday gift ever. We tested on July 10th and knew right away that I was pregnant. Both Loren and I have been wanting to start our family, but wanted to get into a home before we tried. Then we wanted to wait a few months to make sure it wasn't born Oct-Jan. Loren is a hunter, and he would be there for the birth, but the chances of him being there for future birthdays were slim. Everything ended up perfectly. Our little one's due date is March 18th, 2010. We have been to 2 doctors appointments and on our second, they wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok, and everything is great. The baby measured at exactly 10 weeks. They took tons of pictures of everything for the doctor, but we did get to keep 2 of them. This first picture is the baby laying on its back with the head on the right. You can see it's little hand up by his face. The second picture is a picture of our little one from the head down. You can see the top of its head, arms coming out and bent with its little hands in front of its face. I couldn't believe we could see each finger already at only 10 weeks.After they got all the pictures, they tried getting the heart rate. The little one didn't like that. It was squirming all over the place. It was so cute to see the body and arms move and wiggle. After it got settled down, we were able to get a heart rate of 175. The doctor says everything is looking great and that we are right on schedule.

Loren has been able to come with me to both doctor's appointments so far and it has been wonderful to share this experience with him. He will be such a great father. Every night he has fixed dinner, cleaned up, taken the dog for a walk, and given me a massage to help me fall asleep. Who couldn't ask for a better husband. I'm so grateful that he is in my life and we are able to walk this path together. It's fun to see the excitement in his eyes as we start this journey.

For me, the past two months have been hectic and new. Family came into town for two weeks, right when I started to get morning (all day) sickness. I have been so exhausted that I just can't do anything. I can barely make it to work for 8 hours (I do take an hour nap at lunch to make it through the second half of the day). Life for me has changed. Not only can I not do the things I'm use to doing. My body is changing and I notice every little stretch and pull preparing for this baby.

We are excited for the months ahead and to see what our little one looks and acts like!

Our walks

Every evening, Loren and I take Bowser for a walk. He loves his walks and enjoys seeing other people and dogs along the walk. Well I think he told the cat how much he like it. Monday when we started walking, the cat sat in the front yard and watched us walk down the street. He then started to follow us. Loren turned back to put the cat in the house, but by the time Loren shut the door and walked to meet Bowser and I the cat was back on his heals (he goes out the dog door). But this time he was meowing. This is weird for our cat, he never meows. This time Loren took the cat back in the house and stayed there to play with him. I finished the walk and went home. Then on Tuesday, evening rolls around and we put the leash on Bowser, and start our walk. The cat is out there again, following us. Loren is so worried that the cat would follow us and then get lost, so we walked up and down the main street we live on and let the cat follow us. Then we put the cat inside and locked the dog door. We went on a longer walk with Bowser and when we got back the cat was mad. If only the cat would walk on a leash, we could take him on walks too. Poor cat.

Artard

Our cat is so weird. We picked him up as a stray at our previous place and took him with us to the new house. He loves us so much. Below are some pictures of our crazy cat. Artard taking an afternoon nap with Loren, hiding in the used Costco boxes, playing in a glass bowl, trying to get into a small box, and enjoying an egg roll. We love our Artard.

Surprises all around us

Moving into a new house has brought us so much happiness, but seeing everything bloom this spring has been so exciting. This is what our house has surprised us with so far.

Grass Stains

Last weekend we were working in the yard and I had gone inside to get a glass of water. I turn around and see a green puppy sitting by the pantry. I get a little closer and see that he has grass all over him and has grass stains. I then realize that I forgot to take the bag of grass clippings to the trash can. I walked out side to see this on the side of the house. Bowser seemed kind of proud of what he did. I guess I can't blame the dog getting into something, I left laying around. And how could I with a face that cute.

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Bowser

We like to introduce you to the newest member of our family. After we bought a house we knew we had to get a dog. I had been looking at the Meridian animal shelter for weeks now and they just added a bunch of puppies. They had rescued these puppies from a very bad animal shelter here in Idaho. I just had to go and look at them. Loren told me that if I fell in love I could bring one home. Loren actually stopped at the animal shelter and he picked him out. He is the cutest little puppy. We think he is a mix between an Akita and a German Shepard. We named him Bowser. This picture a rainy day outside playing in the garden while we were at work. He was such a mess. Of course this was the same day he got his first bath. He is such a cutie, but still is a puppy. He chews on everything and has accidents, but we love him just the same. We have just taught him to walk on a leash. The first couple of weeks every time we attached the leash to his collar he would sit down and drag his butt when we tried to walk. We would try to bribe him with ham, call his name, I think we tried everything. But last night it clicked. It was dark and so he couldn't see many of the distractions and I walked in front of him and Loren and continued to call him. Then today we walked around the neighborhood. He did really well until we were coming home and he stopped at the house next to ours. He just wouldn't move. I finally had to pick him up and carry him home. We are excited for this summer. We plan on taking him on walks and up to the mountains. We love our little Bowser.

I guess the Shamrock brought us good luck!

Not only did my Corn beef and Cabbage come out better than I have ever tasted, but we finally got all the info in from the Bank on our house! Yeah! We signed yesterday, so tomorrow our bank will fund and we will get the keys. We are so excited. I guess Saint Patty's day did bring us some luck.

Happy Birthday Loren!

So this post is a few days late, but I thought I would announce to the world that Loren in 28. We celebrated his birthday on Wednesday with a dinner at Red Lobster and dessert at the Cheesecake factory. He enjoyed every minute of it. He was more excited the next day when his new Google phone arrived. He knew it was coming (he ordered it himself), but it was great to see his face and excitement as he played with it all night. He is a wonderful man, a caring husband, and will be a great future father. I'm so privilege to be his wife.

Loren - I love you with all my heart. Each day with you gets better and better. No one gets to see and hear how funny you really are. I cherish all of those little moments with you when we lay down and talk. I love fixing your aches (back and head) my way. I love hearing you laugh, it makes me light up. I love to see you play with R-Tard (our cat). It makes me excited to see you play with our future children. You are so wonderful. I hope to see many more of your birthdays.

Love Always,

Paige

Update on the house

We found the perfect house and put an offer on it. We beat out several other bids on the house and got accepted. We were so excited. We scheduled the closing date of February 17th. That way we could put our 30 days in the rental, have a weekend to move in and a week to clean the rental and then be out by February 28th. We had it all planned out. We had a carpet stretcher and cable scheduled. All of our appliances were being delivered on the 20th. Family was coming in to help us move. Everything was going to be perfect, but then...

Citi bank decided to close down for 2 weeks. We were buying a bank owned property and knew we were going to have some problems, but never new it was going to be like this. All anyone could get was a recording telling us that they weren't going to be closing any houses until the 18th. So there went the original plans, and then on the 18th we couldn't get any response either. We had to make the decision to cancel all deliveries and installations. Then on Friday we get the news that Citi bank sold all of their Repos to another bank. Yikes! We really don't know what will happen now.

Citi bank did sign a contract saying that we had to close before February 28th, but who knows now. We were able to reschedule everything for this Friday and we have scheduled a signing on Thursday. But who knows if that will actually happen either. I'm just glad that the place we are now will let us pay per day for this next month. But hopefully we will sign on Thursday, get the keys on Friday, and move in on Saturday. Then we can pay for 2 more days in March and get the place all cleaned up (we really want our $500 back).

So this is were we are. It has been a long stressful month, but I think our house is worth waiting for. In a few months it will be water under the bridge.

Our house

After all the weeks waiting, the bid, the inspection, and now we are going to close. Loren and I are so very excited. This is going to be our new house: 1257 N. Clara, Meridian ID 83642. I'll try to explain the layout with pictures, but I'm not sure how good it will be. Here is the front of the house. The house needs a good painting and trimming of bushes.

When you walk in the front door, you enter the family room. The fans and light fixtures will eventually be changed. I'm not a big fan of any of them. The carpet is in pretty good shape, so we won't have to change this for awhile.Looking from the front door you look through the family room into the dining room. To the right of the dining room is the kitchen. Don't mind the mess on the ground. This will be cleaned up first thing. We do plan on replacing the counter tops and back splash a little later. But we will be getting a gas stove and a great new fridge with water and ice in the door. To the left of the dining room is the living room. It is a great space. We will eventually replace the fire place cover. I'm not a big fan of the gold.

When looking in the front door there is a hallway between the family room and the dinning room that runs the length of the house. Down the right hallway you go into the master bedroom.

Inside the master bedroom, we have the master bath. The shower actually has 2 shower heads with different controls. How fun is that! The back splash will be replaced sometime.

If you walk down the hallway into the other side of the house you will run into the 2nd bathroom. Counter top and back splash will have to go.

In the front of the house you have the two bedrooms. They aren't the biggest bedrooms, but they will do fine for kid's rooms.

I hope I did a good explanation of the house. We love this house. It will be great for our first home. We are looking at closing around February 20. This way we will have enough time to move in and to clean up the place we are in now. Loren and I are too excited to make it ours.